Increase in Dutch antisemitism

The Dutch Jewish community suffered almost double the number of antisemitic incidents in 2009 than in 2008. Experts said this increase might only be “the tip of the iceberg”.

Police said the 209 cases of antisemitism were documented in the Netherlands last year, representing a 48 per cent rise year-on-year and accounting for nearly a tenth of all discriminatory incidents in the Netherlands.

During Israel’s Gaza offensive in January 2009, 98 attacks were documented, including nine physical assaults.
Other incidents in 2009 included vandals damaging synagogues and spraying graffiti on Jewish monuments.

The Jewish community in the Netherlands numbers around 30,000, less than 0.3 per cent of the country’s population.

Earlier this week the Dutch Foreign Ministry withdrew an invitation to the leaders of Israeli council because some of those involved were representatives of West Bank settlements.

In June police in Amsterdam outlined proposals to post “decoy Jews” – police disguised in Orthodox clothing – around the city in order to catch potential racist attackers.